TOKYO (REUTERS) – Japan suspended imports of pork and live pigs from Germany after a case of African swine fever (ASF) was confirmed in a wild boar in eastern Germany, the agriculture ministry said.

The suspension took effect on Friday (Sept 11).

China and South Korea also banned such imports after Germany said on Thursday that ASF had been found in a dead wild boar near its border with Poland.

Japan’s action aims to keep out the disease, the ministry said in a statement on Friday.

Pork imports of 40,240 tonnes from Germany last year accounted for 3.3 per cent of Japan’s total imports of 1.2 million tonnes of the meat, the ministry said.

Japan did not import any live pigs in 2019, down from six in 2018.

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